Twinkle Sohail shines out as first “Gold Medallist” female weight lifter of Pakistan

Twinkle Sohail, a Pakistani Christian rewrites history as she grabbed Gold Medal for Pakistan in the Asian Bench Press Championship in Oman.

Twinkle Sohail surfaces as Pakistan’s first female weight lifter to have won a Gold Medal in an international event. 19-year-old, Gold Medallist who hails from Lahore, outclassed athletes from 12 other countries at Sultan Qaboos Stadium in Muscat, Oman.

“I’m extremely happy, I’m excited, and I’m proud,” she exclaimed. She maintains, her joy is immeasurable as toiling in the gym for last two years has paid her off. In this competition, India grabbed second position, followed by Turkmenistan at third position.

“I am extremely thankful to God for choosing His daughter to triumph,” she added “Moreover, my parents and family members had played a vital role in my accomplishment .”

She competed in the 47kg junior U21 event, and was declared triumphant after six white flags were hoisted from the judges seeing that she outdid her competitors in all three lifts flawlessly. “I was a little nervous before coming here and competing at the top level in the continent. But I kept my nerves in check and I just knew that I had to perform well. I maintained my focus and now I’m a winner in my category,” she said.

“I could sense victory in the third round, and I was sure that I have grabbed a win for Pakistan. I am glad that as a female weight lifter I have won first Gold Medal for my country. I had never thought of this achievement, as previously I was a cyclist and wanted to make a name for myself as a cyclist, but, God had another plan for me.”

Her coach and team mate Rashid Malik are flabbergasted by her exceptional performance in her debut. “Our female athletes lack in style but they make up for everything with their hard work and diligence. Twinkle was extremely careful in her performance very calculated and managed to lift weights beyond her capacity too,” Rashid Malik said.

“I still can’t believe I’ve become the first female Pakistani power lifter to win something this big. I’m still processing the feat,” she said while still being gob smacked at her victory. This young sports wonder has had an urge to make a mark in the field of sports and shine out as a Pakistani athlete and winning medals for her country.

“My trainers and coaches have worked hard on me; they instilled techniques and tips in me. They have trained and taught me well so that today I have become able to compete,” she said while thanking her mentors and trainers.

However, it was not weight lifting that gripped her, but prior to sneaking in to weight lifting, she had an ardent desire to excel in cycling. “I was a cyclist but I switched to power lifting as it’s more competitive, and now a gold medal proves that I made the right decision.”